Snuff

Snuff by Terry Pratchett

The blurb: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a policeman taking a holiday would barely have had time to open his suitcase before he finds his first corpse.

And Commander Sam Vimes of the Ankh-Morpork City Watch is on holiday in the pleasant and innocent countryside, but not for him a mere body in the wardrobe. There are many, many bodies and an ancient crime more terrible than murder.

He is out of his jurisdiction, out of his depth, out of bacon sandwiches, occasionally snookered and out of his mind, but never out of guile. Where there is a crime there must be a finding, there must be a chase and there must be a punishment.

They say that in the end all sins are forgiven. But not quite all…

My review: Ever since the day about ten years ago when I walked into a British Bookshop and picked up A Colour of Magic (I had been seeing them everywhere and I wanted to start at the beginning) Terry Pratchett has been one of my very favourite authors.

Despite having what must be a terrible hinderance to his writing (Alzheimer’s) Pratchett’s novels don’t seem to be affected at all, Snuff is quite absolutely a delight to read.

Sam Vimes is in the country on holiday, which of course means he’ll be looking for criminals, never one to rest on his laurels and never happy without someone to chase. Vimes has a penchant for finding the little crime that leads to the very big crime and Snuff is no different. The book touches on racism, genocide, slavery, class and that which makes us human.
Pratchett’s observations on the human condition are what really makes his books sing, he seems to find the little nuances in human nature that appear to apply to you personally, the reader, that makes you feel that he must be a man of extraordinary insight. Beautifully written, beautifully packaged, this is definitley one to savour.

9 out of 10 stars! *********

Jacket Musings… (2)

So one of my favourite crime writers to cuddle up in an armchair with is the completely delightful Christopher Fowler. Bryant and May make me laugh, make me cry, make me shudder (with fear!) the Peculiar Crimes Unit are well worth reading, and remind me slightly of Agatha Christie but much hipper. Anyway I was surfing on Amazon the other day looking to see if  there was a new one coming out (which there is, hurrah!) and I stumbled actoss the American jacket.

I’m not normally a fan of the covers from across the pond but I must admit, I think I prefer it! Although I do like the artsy-ness of our jackets there is something very accessible about the US cover, hmmm… worth pondering over with a cup of tea!

  

The Mistress’s Revenge

The Mistress’s Revenge by Tamar Cohen

The blurb: Never have an affair with anyone who has less to lose than you. And – never underestimate the wrath of a woman scorned.

For five years, Sally and Clive have been lost in a passionate affair. Now he has dumped her, to devote himself to his wife and family, and Sally is left in freefall.
It starts with a casual stroll past his house, and popping into the brasserie where his son works. Then Sally starts following Clive’s wife and daughter on Facebook. But that’s alright isn’t it? I mean they are perfectly normal things to do. Aren’t they?
Not since Fatal Attraction has the fallout from an illicit affair been exposed in such a sharp, darkly funny and disturbing way:The Mistress’s Revenge is a truly exciting fiction debut. After all, who doesn’t know a normal, perfectly sane woman who has gone a little crazy when her heart was broken?

My review: Initially I found this book very hard going. Not because the writings bad, it’s excellent, or because the story is boring, it’s not, it’s just a very emotionally charged and intense book. It’s really hard not to get involved with the characters and I found myself having to put the book down and remember that they’re not real!

This is a skillful tale of addicted love and let’s face it we’ve all been there. I know I have! There have been times when I’ve driven past an ex’s house to see if he’s in or checked his facebook page 100 times a day to see if he’s talking to other girls! It’s not a healthy form of obsession (are there healthy forms of obsession?) but it is quite natural I think to wonder what your ex is up too.

This is what the narrator and main protagonist Sally does in this book, she wonders what her married ex Clive is up too, but she does more than wonder and her life spirals into an abyss with just one focus. Relationships are difficult, especially when they end and one person is left without any answers, which is portrayed so well here. Reading this objectively, not involved in all the emotions of the main character I can see it’s a brilliantly plotted and well-constructed book. Tamar Cohen made me hate Clive with a passion, and although I didn’t always like Sally, in fact sometimes I wanted to give her a slap with a wet fish, she is magnetising to read.

I can’t help but talk about this to everyone I know, it’s quite a controversial read but absolutely brilliant for discussing over a cup of tea! Wish I hadn’t read it before my holiday!

9 out of 10 stars! *********